According to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), five <i>black males</i> have now been Indicted for the theft of 650 firearms from a UPS freight facility in Missouri.

United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri Timothy A. Garrison announced that the five men originating from Texas men have now been indicted by a federal grand jury.

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The theft of over 650 Firearms occurred from several United Parcel Service trailers in Springfield, Missouri.

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<b>The firearms were in the process of being shipped from Beretta Firearms in Maryland en route to a Bass Pro Shops in Springfield.</b>

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The men are accused of stealing 600 Beretta .380-caliber handguns, 54 Beretta 12-gauge shotguns, a pallet of Justin Brand boots, a dozen cases of soda and “numerous power tools” all destined for the Bass Pro Shops facility.

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<blockquote>The indictment charges each of the five defendants in one count of aiding and abetting one another to steal firearms being shipped across state lines, from Beretta USA in Maryland to the state of Missouri. The indictment also charges each of the five defendants in one count of aiding and abetting one another to possess stolen firearms.</blockquote>

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original federal criminal complaint, Derrick and Eric White, McChriston, Lowe, and Haywood stole 650 firearms, along with other cargo, from United Parcel Service (UPS) trailers in Springfield in October of 2017.

Haywood has remained in federal custody since his arrest in January of 2018 and is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole.

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The trailers in which the firearms were shipped from had been parked in the UPS freight lot in a configuration to prevent access to the trailer doors.

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Reportedly being parked back-to-back with the roll-up doors facing each other, the plan to break into them was both sophisticated and well-coordinated.

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The trailers were then blocked by longer trailers, which should have acted as a preventative measure from someone backing a truck-tractor to the trailer and pulling it forward.

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According to federal prosecutors, the thieves hot-wired two truck-tractors and used them to push and pull various trailers around the lot, allowing the thieves access to the trailer doors.

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The next day, Best Way Moving & Storage in Springfield (located near the UPS freight facility) discovered that a truck had been stolen. That stolen truck was later found in Seagoville, Texas, which is in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

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According to the affidavit, cell phone tower records indicated that the cell phones of Derrick White, Eric White, McChriston, Lowe, and Haywood all were in the vicinity of the UPS freight facility in Springfield at or near the time of the theft.

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Investigators were able to determine that all five cell phones left the Dallas Metroplex on Oct. 27, 2017, arrived in Springfield on Oct. 28, 2017, and returned to the Dallas Metroplex on Oct. 29, 2017.

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Haywood’s phone was also in the area where the stolen truck from Best Way Moving was recovered in Seagoville.

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Eric and Derrick White were located at Redneck Heaven Restaurant & Bar in Arlington, Texas, on Nov. 19, 2017, and arrested on outstanding warrants from an unrelated case.

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A Beretta .380-caliber handgun was found in Derrick White’s car as it was being towed; investigators confirmed the firearm had been stolen from the shipment of firearms in the Springfield UPS freight facility.

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Additional items consistent with those stolen in the UPS theft were located in Derrick White’s vehicle, including a Milwaukee M18 2 Tool Combo Kit, still in the box, and two SOG folding knives, still in the box.

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A loaded Taurus 9mm pistol was found in Eric White’s car. Investigators also recovered two sets of bolt cutters and two key rings containing several keys from Eric White’s car. The keys were the type commonly used for tractor-trailer trucks and forklifts, and circular keys common for storage units and vending machines.

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The other suspects and their cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.